Reserve fuel tank



Jan. 6, 1953 J. FRANKLIN RESERVE FUEL. TANK Filed Sept. 26, 1949 IN V ENTOR. F QANKLMI,

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Patented Jan. 6, 1953 um TED PATENT flF FiGE 2;t24,4oo RESERVE FUEL TANKJoseiim ianiam, Losmi-eeles, earn. 7 Application september 2s,trainee-a1 min-7 m s' filaims. (01158-4655 invention reIates reserve"fuel the kind in which the reserve tank "is [150's exteriorly of themain .fufel tank butfis "adapted to be filled by the "S atrlefiIIingoblatloh as the main tank.

The invention is primarily intended for-use with the tanks ofautomobiles but it is to be understood that it is not necessarilyi'limite'dto such use.

It'is a purpose of my invention to provide a-reserve fuel tankn'io'u'nted inthe main tankfilling conduit and fitted With its 'OWnfilling "cap but not requiring any manipulation other than "the removalof the fillin'ge'aps of themainuand freserve fuel tanks to put thereserve tankiin condition for use thus avoiding the necessity forsupplementary valves and other control means for the operation ofthereserve tank.

Another object or purpose "of the invention is to provide a reserve fueltank'ofsuch 'construction that it may be readily constructed 'as'afitting substituted for part of thestandard 'filling' conduit ofautomobile and other automotive vehicle tanks.

Still another object of myinventi'onji'sto provide a reserve fueltank'of simple and inexpensive but rugged construction which is"'capableof giving trouble free service for 'anindefinite period since there areno parts subject to deterioration through excessive wear.

Still further features and 'obje'ctsof 'm 'invention will hereinafterappear from astu'dy-of the following specification readwith vreferenceto the accompanying drawings which illustrate anembodiment of theinvention at present deemed preferable by me.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the rear'p'ortion of a typical automobilefitted with the reserve fuel tank-of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical i'sotion through "the reserve tankarrangement shownin Fig. .1, and showing the connection betweenthereserve-tank and the main tank, the view being drawn "on a larger scale..7

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing the mounting means for thereserve'tani; andlo oking' in the direction ofthe arrows 3- 3Flg'. '2.

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken atrig-ht angles to the viewer Fig. 2 butshowing the reserve tank structure mounted in afiller'pipecarried moreto the side of a rear fender than in Fig. 2,the'view also shows bothmain tank and reserve t'a'nk being filled.

In Figs. 1 and '2, thenumeral l0 indicates a housing which mayconveniently be formed in two halves secured togetherfaro'und a medianline.

The upper half of thefhonsiin'g isgprovidedxwlth a tubular fillerextension or filiing spout l 2 prererably or the same diameter asstandardautomobile tank "finer enemies to that the uneventional gastanke'apg'l'li may befiutiliied tofnormally closet/he extensionil'z. v

The lower half 'ofthelhousing 'iszprovided with a relatively -longtubular extension'oroun t pipe I6 preferably tapered from adiameter-slightly less than 'the diameter "or standard tank llller pipesIt, to a diameter slightly greater than that of the pipe 18 so that thehousing tubular extension .16 will make 'ajamfit in thep'i'pe 18.

lt-will-be obvious that where su'fli'ci'erit space-"is available underthe rear fender v1'0 "of an automobile, the fender may "be recessed toreceive the housing.

Preferably as shown in the drawings the housing I0 is globular'informandthe reserve tank 22 is ofglobula'r form of smaller diameterfsothat space is left between the 'outersurraoe ofthe'reserve tank andtheinner surface or the housin to provide a fr'eei'flow ofigasol'ine "orother fl'iel round the reserve tank when filling the main tank 2!. I

The reserve tank 2 2 is rotatablvmounted by pivots or trunnions 26,21'secure'd the'rt'oaiid received in bearing 28, 29 mounted on the innerWall of the housing. I

The preferred construction or the "bearings is shown in Fig. 3 and comprses rings split across a medianline, one half "o'ft-h'ebearingiing'being secured-to the upper'hali and the dtl'iefhalf of thering being se'cu'red to' the lower'halfotihou'smg '10, before theupperan-d'lower parts bfthe housing are lseiii ed together 'aft'r th'eglobular reserve tank pivots have been 'fpos'itionedin'the bearings.The'lpivotalm ting "of thereserve tankare preferably arranged.longitudinally of the "vehicle to -preclude.movement tithe tank when thevehicle is'und'er'wa'y. v v

The reserve tank ZZ'i'sprOvided a filling opening 30 of smallerdiameter-than the tubular extensio-n I2, and a cap 32 is arrangedtohormally close the opening. 'Inbrder to-"easily remove to-cap '32 Iprovide the cap-with an up standing stem 34 extendinginto'tubular memberI2 and'terminating'in a knurled knob35 "which enables cap "32 to bereadily removed by rotating knob 35 between thumb andforefinger'aitercap [4 of the'housing' h'asbeentakenflofi. V

A further functionpel formed by tnestem-st is to limit'or checkoscillation of the reservet'ank about its pivots by the engagement-orthe'stein with the walls of thetubular member 12.

In order to rotate thereserve 2 2"when it is desired to empty itscbnt'ents into'the main fuel tank I provide a length "of "chain "36 "orother flexible member, secured at one endto the reserve tank oppositethe filling "opening thereof as indicated. at 3 8 andsecured rat the:o't'her lend to the eaptz. s'ufiici'e'ntslackisproviuedintlie thehousing, and one end of the chain 36 is conveniently secured to aneyelet secured in the weight.

The reserve tank construction shown in Fig. 4 differs from that of Fig.2 only in that the reserve tank is adapted to be inserted into a fueltank filler tube which is mounted in the side of the rear fender, partsidentical with those of the construction shown in Fig. 2 are thereforeindicated by the same reference numerals with the addition of the suffix.a but the'outlet 42 is shown as bent to an angle which enables it to beinserted into the main tank filler pipe 44 leading into the side ofarear fender 46.

If required'the housing lfla may be steadied by a bracket 48 connectingthe housing and fender and secured to them in any suitable man-' ner.

Instead of a curved outlet pipe 42, a straight outlet pipe might be usedfitting into an adaptor in the form of a curved length of pipe fittinginto the main tank filler pipe 44.

It is pointed out that while the reserve fuel tank has been describedwith reference to its use on automobiles, it may also be fitted to thetanks of motor-boats and used with fuel tanks of other types in whichexhaustion of the main fuel supply is a common occurrence.

It will be evident that various changes and modifications may be made inthe described embodiment of my invention by those skilled in the artwithout departing from the scope of my invention as intended to bedefined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A reserve fuel tank, including: a housing having a bottom outlet anda top inlet; a tank mounted in the housing for rotation about asubstantially horizontal fixed axis, and provided with an inlet opening;a weight on the tank tendin to maintain the tank with its inlet openingin registry with the top inlet; means for rotating the tank intodischarging position; and a memher on the tank engaging the housing tolimit oscillation of the tank on its axis and accessible through the topinlet for movement to a position which permits rotatio nofthe tank to adischarging position by said-means.

2. A reserve fuel tank, including: a housing having a bottom outlet anda top inlet; a tank mounted in the housing for rotation about asubstantially horizontal fixed axis, and provided with an inlet opening;a weight on the tank tending to maintain the tank with its inlet openingin registry with the top inlet; means for rotating the tank intodischarging position; and a closure for the inlet opening completelyremovable therefrom and having a member which when the closure is inclosing relationshi to the inlet opening, projects into the top inlet toengage the housing and limit oscillation of the tank on its axis, andproviding means for removing and applying the closure from and to theinlet opening.

3. A reserve fuel tank, including: a housing having an outlet in itsbottom, a filling spout for the housing fixed to and projecting upwardlytherefrom; a tank rotatably mounted about a substantially horizontalfixed axis within the '4 housing and provided with an inlet opening; aWeight on the tank tending to maintain the tank with its inlet openingin registry with the filling spout; means for rotating the tank intodischarging position; a screw threaded cap for closing the inlet openingconnected to said means and completely removable from the inlet opening;a stem on said cap extending into the filling spout when said cap is inclosing relationship to the inlet opening, to engage the filling spoutand limit oscillation of the tank on its axis; and a head on V the stemfor rotating the cap to remove it from the inlet opening.

4. A reserve fuel tank; including: a globular housing having upper andlower halves, an outlet in the lower half and an inlet in the upperhalf; a pipe secured to the lower half at the outlet and of a diameterto be ex-tendible into the filler pipe of a vehicle fuel tank andserving to support the housing on the filler pipe; a globular fuel tankof smaller radius than said housing and received in the housing;trunnions on said tank, and bearings for the trunnions on the inner sideof the housing for supporting the tank in the housing for rotation abouta substantially horizontal axis, each of said bearings in two parts withone part on the upper housing half and the other part on the lowerhousing half to allow mounting of the trunnions in the lower bearingparts before the upperhalf is secured to the lower half; said tankprovided with an inlet opening; a weight on the tank tending to maintainthe tank with its inlet opening in registry with the top inlet; meansfor rotating the tank into discharging position; and a cap for closingthe inlet opening.

5. A reserve fuel tank; including: a globular housing having upper andlower halves, an outlet in the lower half and an inlet in the upperhalf; a pipe secured to the lower half at the outlet and of a diameterto be extendible into the filler pipe of a vehicle fuel tank and servingto support the housing on the filler pipe; a globular fuel tank ofsmallerradi-us than said housing and received in the housing; trunnionson said tank, and bearings for the trunnions on the inner side of thehousing for supporting the tank in the housing for rotation about asubstantially horizontal fixed axis, each of said bearings in two partswith one part on the upper housing half and the other part on the lowerhousing half to allow mounting of the trunnions in the lower bearingparts before the upper half is secured to the lower half; said tankprovided with an inlet opening; a weight on the tank tending to maintainthe tank with its inlet opening in registry with the top inlet; meansfor rotating the tank into discharging position; and a closure for theinlet opening completely removable therefrom and having a memberprojecting into the housing inlet to engage the housing and limitoscillation of the tank on its trunnions whenthe closure is in closingrelationship to the inlet opening, and providing means for removing andapplying the closure.

JOSEPH FRANKLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

